Andrew J. Nathan, the Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, wrote the article “What is Xi Jinping Afraid Of?” in the December 8, 2017 edition of Foreign Affairs.

“Why this intense concentration of power and emphasis on obedience?” Professor Nathan writes. “Xi claimed that China is on the brink of achieving its great dream of national rejuvenation. But many of the moves that have been taken as signs of his strength are as much evidence of his anxiety. As Xi himself put it in his congress address, ‘The prospects are bright but the challenges are severe.'”